DFCO’s major Crackdown on Food Adulteration
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a significant crackdown on the sale of unsafe food, the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), Jammu, on Saturday seized and disposed of a massive haul of 28 quintals of rotten and spoiled non-vegetarian products, including 2,700 kg of decomposed chicken and 100 kg of rotten fish.
The operation was carried out under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, with the primary aim of safeguarding public health and ensuring consumer safety.
The operation was led by Madan Magotra, Deputy Commissioner, Food Safety Division Jammu, and Pankaj Soni, Deputy Commissioner, Food ICIL Jammu, along with the active support of Food Safety Officers and Manoj Prabhakar, Deputy Controller, Legal Metrology Jammu.
Acting on credible information, the team raided a cold storage facility located at Kanji House, Jammu, where they discovered large quantities of spoiled non-vegetarian food items.
These items were found to be deteriorated, decayed, and emitting a strong putrid smell, rendering them wholly unsafe for human consumption.
The entire consignment was immediately seized and placed under the custody of the Municipal Corporation of Jammu. It was stored in sealed vehicles to prevent any further contamination or exposure.
Subsequently, the rotten meat was safely disposed of at the Koud Balwal Dumping Yard, following proper Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The owner of the business establishment has been booked for operating under insanitary conditions, and legal proceedings have been initiated under Sections 56 and 58 of the FSS Act for gross violations, including failure to maintain the mandatory cold chain for frozen products. Expressing serious concern over the scale of this violation, Smita Sethi, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), J&K, directed all enforcement officers across the Union Territory to maintain high vigilance.
She emphasized the importance of proactive inspections at block, district, and divisional levels to ensure compliance with the food safety laws. She further reiterated that the department’s mission to curb adulteration, insanitary conditions, and other malpractices will continue with full force until such dangerous practices are completely eradicated.
The department has also issued a public advisory urging citizens to be cautious while purchasing frozen meat, chicken, and fish. It was noted that many such products in the market are often found laced with unpermitted artificial colors, which is a serious health violation.
These practices are particularly prevalent during the summer months, posing heightened health risks including food poisoning, hepatitis, cancer, and other serious illnesses.
To report any suspicious or unsafe food-related activity, the public is encouraged to contact the department’s toll-free helpline at 104. The DFCO has also advised Food Business Operators (FBOs) to strictly maintain proper hygiene, cold storage conditions, and avoid the use of any unapproved food additives or coloring agents.
During the inspection, awareness was imparted to both consumers and vendors about the importance of temperature control in storing frozen products and ensuring hygienic food handling.
Reaffirming its commitment, the Drug and Food Control Organisation, Jammu, under the leadership of Commissioner Smita Sethi, assures the public that strict action will be taken against violators.
The enforcement campaign will continue vigorously, and those found guilty of endangering public health through food adulteration and negligence will be dealt with firmly under the law.
The department remains fully committed to upholding the highest standards of food safety and public health in Jammu & Kashmir.
